Here’s how much weight you need to lose to look more attractive

Worried about packing on the pounds this holiday season? Relax and have another gingerbread man. No one will even notice the extra jiggle in your wiggle until you’re a solid eight pounds heavier.

According to researchers at the University of Toronto, people will notice another’s weight gain or loss at about eight or nine pounds. The study was conducted with photos of men and women between 20 and 40 years old. Each photo consisted of a subject’s face without any make-up or adornment. The photos were then digitally altered to indicate weight gain or loss. Much like occurs in real life, the photos were then shown to random participants who got to judge how fat everyone looked.

Why did the study only look at faces? “It is a robust indicator of one’s health,” said Nicholas Rule, associate professor in the Faculty of Arts & Science and Canada Research Chair in Social Perception and Cognition. “Increased facial adiposity is associated with a compromised immune system, poor cardiovascular function, frequent respiratory infections, and mortality.”

Eight pounds doesn’t seem like that much, but bear in mind that when it comes to weight loss, you’ll have to lose double to appear more attractive. That’s right, the researchers weren’t just interested in when other’s simply noticed weight loss, they wanted to just how much you’ll need to diet and exercise before someone finds you hot again. Bad news, folks. Those face photo judgers didn’t find the pictures more attractive until they’d lost 14-18 pounds.

It has now been scientifically confirmed that universal attractiveness is determined by a bunch of people who show up to a research study in Canada mostly for the free donuts.